


The Fallen Tree

by purajobot935



Category: Dalton Academy Series, Dalton by CP Coulter, Glee
Genre: Boys Kissing, Comfort No Hurt, M/M, Relaxing from the madness of Windsor, Swimming Boys, Young Love, chustin tank, quiet time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-19
Updated: 2014-04-19
Packaged: 2018-01-19 23:43:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1488517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purajobot935/pseuds/purajobot935
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Charlie was positive some of his Windsor was rubbing off on Justin. That was the only explanation he had for the current situation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Fallen Tree

**Author's Note:**

> Originally published July 2011

**The Fallen Tree**

 

 

Charlie was positive some of his Windsor was rubbing off on Justin. That was the only explanation he had for the current situation.

 

“Where are we even going?” he asked as he slapped the tree branch away from his face.

 

“You’ll see,” was all Justin would say as he kept his grip on his boyfriend’s hand and led him through the woods.

 

The Windsor prefect let out a long-suffering sigh and let himself be pulled along, trying not to trip over exposed tree roots or walk into anymore branches, wondering how he’d even ended up in this situation. Oh wait… Justin was a handsome, charming, sweet-talker with an incredibly sexy accent… that was how.

 

Earlier in the afternoon they’d just finished basketball practice on the outdoor court, and Charlie had been heading inside with the other boys when Justin had come up behind him, grabbed him around the waist and nuzzled into his neck and shoulder.

 

“I’ve got something to show you,” he’d murmured into Charlie’s ear, following it up with a kiss to the temple. “Come with me.”

 

That had been all. Charlie hadn’t even put up much of a protest before he’d followed his White Queen off the court, and eventually off-campus. It wasn’t until Justin had led them off the usual road and into an unfamiliar wood, and he’d been smacked in the face with a leafy branch, that he realized he had no idea where they were.

 

“That’s not telling me much, English,” he said.

 

“I guess you’ll just have to trust me then,” Justin replied, turning back and giving him one of those dazzling smiles.

 

They walked a little more, Charlie starting to wish he’d brought a jacket at least, before Justin gave a little tug on his wrist and they cleared the last of the tree-line, emerging on the other side of the woods. Charlie blinked. It was beautiful.

 

A lazily-flowing river rippled gently in front of them, shimmering softly in the late-summer sun that had already moved to the west and lost some of its fiery intensity. The rays had softened to a diluted gold glow that fell on a small rock-face a few feet away and illuminated some of the shrubbery that grew on it in a mix of Summer and Fall colors. In the distance, Charlie could just make out an old railway bridge and more forest.

 

“Justin… this is… just… wow.”

 

Justin wrapped his arms around Charlie’s waist again, resting his chin on the other prefect’s shoulder. “I thought you’d like it.”

 

Charlie turned and cupped the Hanover’s face in his hands, kissing him sweetly. “The only thing more beautiful than this place is you.”

 

“You flatter me, Chaz.” Justin kissed him back.

 

As if sharing a common thought, their fingers intertwined and they walked hand-in-hand down to the water’s edge. A light breeze ruffled Charlie’s unruly brown hair and he shook his head to get some strands out of his eyes. Justin watched him with an amused smile, then leaned over to place a kiss on his head.

 

“I swear I’m going to cut this one day,” Charlie grumbled as he leaned against the Hanover.

 

“Don’t you dare. You know I love your hair.” Justin combed his fingers through the shaggy locks and kissed his head again. “And I know you love when I do this.” He gently skritched Charlie’s scalp, smirking when the boy let out a happy sigh. “See?”

 

“Fine, but you’re helping me tame it.”

 

“You have two fashionistas and Blaine, king of hair gel, in your House and you want ME to help you with your hair?” Justin pulled back and quirked a brow at him.

 

Charlie only grinned before looking around at the scenery in front of them. Spotting something, he stepped away from Justin and walked over to it, eyeing it for a moment before bending over to take off his shoes and socks. Justin followed him over and tilted his head.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

“C’mon, take your shoes off.” Charlie waded into the water.

 

And there was that trademarked Windsor madness that made Justin sometimes wonder if he was dating a lunatic. Of COURSE he was well aware of Charlie’s escapades with the Twins and his notoriety as a prankster. He was just thankful that the brunt of it was aimed at Stuart.

 

Sometimes though…. He grumbled and took off his footwear.

 

By this time, Charlie had somehow managed to get onto a partially submerged tree trunk and had gone all the way out to the end that sat mid-stream. Now he sat straddling the log, swirling his legs in the water. Justin followed him (and who was he kidding, he’d follow his Queen of Hearts anywhere) and made himself comfortable behind the Windsor, easing his legs into the water that was just the right intensity of cool.

 

“You do the craziest things sometimes, Chaz,” he said.

 

“Be glad they pay off,” Charlie replied with a smile, then shrugged and winced.

 

Justin immediately looked concerned. “Are you okay?”

 

Charlie rotated his shoulders with another wince. “Basketball’s been giving my arms a workout lately. I’ll be fine.”

 

“Mmm…”

 

The Hanover prefect knew it wasn’t just the basketball. He was quite aware that being the prefect of a madhouse stressed the other boy out sometimes even as he tried to keep up with his studies, sports and social life. He’d tried to help on the days it got particularly out of hand, either by cornering the troublemakers and threatening them with some sort of painful torture if they didn’t tone it down, or by pulling Charlie away from the house completely to take a break.

 

This time counted as the latter.

 

Justin placed his hands on Charlie’s shoulders and started to rub gently. Charlie glanced back and for a moment Justin thought he was going to ask him to stop, but the Windsor prefect merely smiled and murmured a soft “thank you.” Justin kissed a shoulder and continued with his massage.

 

“You know, this would actually be a lot easier if you took your top off.”

 

Charlie barked out a laugh as he leaned forward to do as Justin asked. “You use that line on all the girls you date?” He balled up his basketball jersey and threw it back to the bank.

 

Justin did the same. “Just on my Queen.”

 

He resumed his massage, alternating between Charlie’s shoulders, back and the nape of his neck, till the Windsor prefect almost dozed off in relaxation. Justin shook his head and continued, easing the tension out of tired muscles and loosening them up so they would stop hurting the other boy.

 

“You worry too much sometimes,” he said softly.

 

Charlie sighed. “That’s why you brought me out here?”

 

The Hanover finished the massage and wrapped his arms around the Windsor again. “I know David pissed you off. I also know you care about him. It’ll be okay. You don’t always have to be around to mother them. Let them live and learn a little bit on their own, it’ll be good for them.” He kissed the other shoulder. “So relax, alright? Enjoy this with me.”

 

“Mmm…”

 

“Good.”

 

They sat on the tree trunk in comfortable silence, enjoying the peaceful quiet as the sun dipped a little lower towards the horizon, gently swirling their legs in the water. Every now and then their feet would brush against each others under the water and they would smile as one would wiggle his toes against the others.

 

“… _sat by the river and it made me complete_...” came Charlie’s barely audible voice.

 

Justin raised his head from where his cheek had been resting on the Windsor’s back. It was a known Windsor fact that music wasn’t really Charlie’s forte, aside from being able to belt out a mean rhythm on the drums, and he fully admitted that just about everyone else in the House could sing circles around him. However in those extremely rare moments that he chose to exercise his vocal chords, Justin knew he could at least hold a tune.

 

“ _I came across a fallen tree, I felt the branches of it looking at me…_ ” Charlie smiled, given the irony of what they were sitting on. “ _Is this the place we used to love? Is this the place that I”ve been dreaming of?_ ”

 

“Mmm… I hope it is,” Justin murmured from behind him.

 

He rested his head back down against Charlie’s skin and let the boy continue, murmuring a harmony to two to keep him company and interspersing it with light kisses to his back that served as encouragement.

 

“ _So why don’t we go somewhere only we know?_ ” Charlie laced their fingers together, brought their hands up and kissed the back of Justin’s palm. “I think I’d like this place to be our somewhere only we know.”

 

“I like how you think,” Justin replied. He looked up at the sky. “Though we should probably be getting back.” He cuddled Charlie a little more. “We can come back another time, maybe with a picnic.”

 

“Mmm… I like how YOU think, but you’re right, we should get back.”

 

Keeping their hands locked, he dove off the log. Justin only had time to yelp before he, too, hit the water with a splash. Charlie surfaced first, laughing and grinning at Justin who came up glaring at him, and then let out a yelp of his own when the Hanover prefect dunked him. He re-emerged pouting.

 

“That was mean.”

 

“You pulled me in.”

 

“I’m sorry?”

 

“I forgive you.”

 

They looked at each other for a moment, their eyes meeting, before Charlie’s flicked down to Justin’s lips. Justin got the message, leaning in and kissing the Windsor prefect softly, his tongue gently parting Charlie’s lips and sliding in. Charlie moaned and ran his tongue over Justin’s, returning the kiss.

 

Fingers tangled in hair, hands ran over skin and bodies pressed together as more kisses were exchanged, and it was only when the trees on the opposite bank started to filter the setting sunlight that they finally broke apart.

 

“I love you,” Charlie said, running a thumb over a cheekbone.

 

“I love you, too,” Justin replied, kissing the palm.

 

Charlie kissed him chastely and took his hand again, and they headed back to the shore together to dress and begin the walk back to campus. As they stepped out of the water, Charlie looked back to see a train cross the bridge in the distance, the passenger windows twinkling like stars.

 

“I’m glad you found this place.”

 

The other prefect looked up from pulling on his jersey. “So am I. It feels like our own little piece of heaven, doesn’t it?”

 

Charlie smiled at him. “Something like that.” He blushed then. “Though for me, heaven is any place that you are.”

 

Justin wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “You are so cute when you blush.” They both knew the Hanover was blushing, too.”

 

The Windsor kissed him once more as they walked, and looked up straight into a leafy branch. He growled out a curse as Justin laughed beside him.

 

“The next time though,” he said. “I’m bringing a machete.”

 

“Spoken like a true Windsor.”

 

~ END.

 

 


End file.
